WHAM BAM is a unique experience “with a particular emphasis on emergent forms and techniques, encouraging interaction between emerging and professional practitioners.” In other words: world-class talent with performances and discussion around the future movement of technology and music production today.

The NAMM Show (a massive music-industry trade show) is also happening this weekend – in Anaheim with attendance reportedly topping 100,000 people. As an spin-off that has taken on a life of it’s own, this year’s WHAM BAM (the fourth annual) offers a more intimate approach to where music devices, creation, workflow and performance are heading for the future. The event brings together innovative artists, musicians, media makers, scientists, academics, critics and enthusiasts covering a wide variety of (sound-related) mediums at LA’s Elephant Theatre.

The event kicks off this Friday at 6pm, and spans three rooms with workshops such as Apps for Next Generation Music Interaction (with Gareth Williams from Liine), Innovative Performance Techniques (w/ Ableton experts Laura Escude,Thavius Beck, Steve Nalepa, Moldover) and live visuals and physical installations by CPU, CELL, KERO, and VJ Culture. Visit WHAM BAM for full details. Check below (after the flier) for artist info and media, and also RSVP on the facebook event page for updates and info.

Jimmy Edgar (Warp, K7 // Detroit, Berlin) Street-smart and wise-beyond-his-years, Jimmy Edgar wanders the desolated streets of junky occupied steaming sewers, an urban ghost town under deconstruction. Reeling through a jungle of industrious landscapes, abandoned buildings, isolated alley ways and homeless people. In the midst of which lies intense feelings of jadedness and despair that makes the city all the more musical in its thriving evolving decay, and being the inspiration to a unique style which critics rant as being: Songs with “a richly textured character –softly softly blending a hazy arrangement of static with an engrossing nighttime beat. Scratches galore and moody electronic pulses… via some glorious Detroit Neon,” Boomkat 2002. Poster child of sound couture Jimmy Edgar, who dropped studies in fashion and design to concentrate on making music, has a background of art production and style which reads much like an urban landscape dissertation. Snatching all kinds of influences from his Detroit dwelling: the city’s decay, urban fashion, and the city’s eclectic music scene, Edgar manufactures unique and provocative ultra modern sound environments.

Richard Devine (Warp, Schematic // ATL)
Richard Devine is one of the most talented (if not prolific) of the producers organized around the Miami neo-electro haven of Schematic Records. Based in Atlanta, Devine’s productions have the rigid breakbeat swing of prime electro recordings, but also a high degree of DSP (digital signal processing) magic in keeping with Schematic’s acknowledged heroes, Autechre. After EPs for a sublabel of Woody McBride’s Drop Bass Network and the Devine EP on Schematic, the producer began getting a reputation in advanced electronics circles with remixes (of material by Aphex Twin, Chris Deluca, Slicker, and Schematic’s own Phoenecia) as well as compilation appearances (Ischemic Folks and Lily of the Valley, both on Schematic). Turned on to Devine’s work by praise from Autechre and his remix of Aphex Twin’s “Come to Daddy,” Britain’s Warp Records hired him in 2000 to record a full-length. The results, Lipswitch, were jointly released one year later by Schematic and War.

Drumcell (Droid Behavior, CLR // LA) is the founder of Droid Recordings and co-founder of Droid Behavior along with the Vidal and Vangelis Vargas. Since the mid Nineties Drumcell has been a firm believer in the power of techno and over the past decade become one of Southern California’s greatest champions.As a graduate of the Musician’s Institute, a veteran performer at parties, and longtime recording engineer Drumcell harnesses a strong musical background with a gifted sense of technological intuition. The delicate balance keeps him pushing the limits of his gear continually as a way to develop his artistic express. Forming the Droid Behavior collective with Acid Circus earlier this decade was another other major step in this ongoing development. In turn, the collective has helped expose other local artists as well as established DJs to the growing legion of techno fans in the Los Angeles basin. In the past five years, he’s played alongside nearly every major DJ in the genre via the trio’s signature Interface parties. This year he also did a mini-tour of the US which culminated in him playing the main stage at the prestigious Movement festival in Detroit. Recently, Drumcell has also had a string of additional successes including remixes of techno legend Chris Leibing on Leibing’s own CLR label as well as the seventh anniversary of the now legendary Interface parties These gatherings have brought the best of the old school warehouse vibe together with intense new school multimedia presentations that defy explanation. He is currently developing a audio/visual performance to be unveiled by the end of this year in hopes of elevating his performances at these events to the next level. Drumcell will definitely be one artist worth watching in 2010.

Laura Escudé (Electronic Creatives, Dubspot // LA) is a critically-acclaimed violinist, composer, sound designer, music technologist and educator. She specializes in the software program Ableton Live and became one of the world’s first Ableton Certified Trainers in 2008. In 2009 she worked on Cirque du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” as an Ableton Live programmer, toured Europe with acclaimed world music band Niyaz, was a tour consultant for Kanye West and recorded violin on EastWest’s Silk sound library. She has worked with diverse directors, artists and composers such as J.J. Abrams, Jason Reitman, LMFAO, Mark Isham and Carmen Rizzo. In 2010 Laura released her first full length album Pororoca, a beautiful marriage of cinematic strings and edgy electronics, along with an animated video designed by Scott Pagano (Trifonic, BT, Michael Jackson). A Renaissance artist for the New Age, Laura’s mastery of cutting edge musical technologies and experimental techniques, complemented with her classical training and experience performing in symphony orchestras, sets her apart in a class of her own. Her solo project encompasses a myriad of genres, utilizing live electronics, synthesis, found sounds, samples and violin affected by hardware and software.

Thavius Beck (Mush Records, Dubspot // LA) is an electronic musician/producer/programmer who has worked with various artists ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Saul Williams. He is currently signed to LA-based label Mush Records, where he has released several albums. His previous works are known for their distinctive sound which melds equal parts rock, hip-hop, soul, industrial, and electronic music, showcasing his diverse musical influences in everything he makes. With a heavy focus on beat making, editing, and multi-track recording, he has used Ableton Live for the majority of his work (live and in the studio) for the past four years, giving him extensive practical knowledge of the software. In addition to making his own music, he has held electronic music workshops in several colleges, given one-on-one tutorials to various artists on Ableton Live, and has been hosting a monthly Ableton Live workshop at The Downtown Independent in Los Angeles since 2009.Sunday Eve Special (31.12.10): Thavius Beck & Rejoicer by colair

Professor Nalepa vs It’s Not Over Quebec (1320 Records, Dubspot // LA)
LA-based producer, professor and mad scientist collector Steve Nalepa is an electronic musician revered in avant-garde circles for his studio alchemy and genre bending: he’s produced tracks with such legends as Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders, performed with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and shared the stage with some of the most revered electronic musicians and video artists in the world. Nalepa’s music technology classes at Chapman University Conservatory of Music have become a breeding ground for new talent, and he has teamed up with his former students It’s Not Over Quebec for some heavy, live electronic excursions.

ROOM 3: DISCUSSIONS AND PANELS

Moldover (LoveTech // SF) If technology and music are your life, brace yourself- Moldover is about to reformat your soul. Hailed by 700,000 YouTube viewers as “The Godfather of Controllerism”, Moldover is a new breed of music icon. Combining the charisma of a rock star, the mad genius of a basement inventor, and the radical inclusiveness of the DIY internet generation, Moldover is “literally throwing away the rule book and reinventing the wheel” (Remix Magazine). Witness his balls-to-the-wall live show at a club, experience his multiplayer music installations at a festival, or pick up and play the “light theramin” packaging of his debut album and understand why the next paradigm for music is a one-man-brand called Moldover.

Gareth Williams (Liine : Trapez // Berlin) is a musician, music technology expert and one of the founders of Liine. Whether producing or performing music under his Raw Hedroom pseudonym, building performance systems for Richie Hawtin’s Plastikman Live show or creating next generation music devices for the iPad at Liine, Gareth always has one eye on the future. Liine, a group of passionate music technologists including Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva, is at the forefront of exploring the music creation possibilities offered by the new generation of touch devices such as the iPad. Gareth’s talk will include insight into the future of the Griid Ableton Live controller (including Cliip and future modules), the next incarnation of the innovative Kapture device, as well as Liine’s vision of interactive music with Remiix.

VISUALS:

CPU – LA Over the last few years visual programmer and VJ Bryant Place a.k.a. CyberPatrolUnit has worked with luminaries such as the Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A., Kanye West and renowned film composer, Hans Zimmer. In addition to his high profile VJ work as part of Vello Virkhaus’ V Squared Labs team, performing for many major musical acts of the day, CPU works with the underground SoCal techno crew Droid Behavior, for whom he has developed highly specialized audio-visualization systems. In addition, CPU is also an artist relations manager, support and product specialist at JazzMutant (creators of the famed touchscreen controller Lemur.) Recently CPU toured with Richie Hawtin’s PlastikmanLive show in Europe where he ran the visual system. He is also part of the DRUMCELL + CPU PROJECT in which he creates generative audio-reactive visuals with Derivative’s TouchDesigner software, to create an immersive live show.

VJ Culture – LA One of the United States top VJs. (Source: UK’s DJ Mag)
VJ Culture brings to the screens over 12 years of experience. Always ahead of the curve in design and content. VJ Culture’s current style blends simple shapes and primary colors with complex algorithms that generate organic forms.